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emorrill's avatar
emorrill
Hero
5 years ago

"Pelican Town to Sims Town" - A Stardew Valley, Sims 3 Fanfic

*UPDATE 7/29/2022* This is no longer an active story - it has been completed. YAY! 😁 - so reading from here on out you will get to enjoy all the Chapters at your disposal without waiting for more updates. ⭐

PLEASE NOTE: A better version of this story is posted on my Blog (I've done some revising to earlier chapters) so if you want the full experience, click HERE to head on over. 😊

ALSO NOTE: Since the migration of this thread to the brand new Sims 3 forums (July 2024) all the pictures to the story don't show up. 😢 It will take me some time to remedy that and the goal is to have it done before the end of the year! (If anyone is still reading it on here by then... ) Thank you for your patience - if it's not done.

And lastly, as always, Welcome new readers! ⭐ I hope you will enjoy this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. 💜

-------------------------------------------------------------

Hello my fellow Sims 3 simmers. 😊

This is my new story for the year 2020 and I hope you will enjoy it! 😀

If you aren't familiar with Stardew Valley I'll help you get a little familiar with it, and the characters, over the course of this first chapter. 😉

-------------------------------------------------------------


Pelican Town to Sims Town
A Stardew Valley Fanfiction

Disclaimer: "Stardew Valley" and it's respective characters in this story are the property of ConcernedApe - creator and game developer. I do not claim these characters as my own, original characters.
**There are some situations and events that will happen in this story that may trigger some unpleasant emotions or memories. As I always like to go for realism in my stories, please read at your own risk.**

Author's Note: This story stems from the gigantic world of my imagination. 🙂 I know that some of you readers are HUGE fans of the "Stardew Valley" game (I love that you're here! 💜 ) and most likely have a very deep connection to these characters and how you interpret their personalities, as well as who you think they should date, etc. I have the utmost respect for that and it's why I've done my very best to keep the characters personalities and histories as true to canon as possible. Just as I have my own connections to and feelings about these characters, I hope that in that regard you will greatly enjoy this story regardless of whether you agree with what happens or not. 😉

Before moving on I'd just like to throw in here how Marnie beautifully validates the basic Plot of my story straight from the game itself. 😊

She asked if my character had met her neighbor, The Wizard, and then said:




😁


**********************




The Characters

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Stardew Valley, here are a couple of charts for you to get familiar with the names and faces of the characters involved in this story. 🙂 (If you already know the characters you can just skip this part and scroll on down to Chapter 1. 😊)





***I thought I would include their ages - which aren't specified in Stardew Valley, but these are the ages I've given them at the start of this story - for anyone who cares. 😜 ***

*Guys*
Elliott - 35
Harvey - 32
Shane - 28
Sebastian - 24
Alex - 22
Sam - 21

*Gals*
Leah - 30
Emily - 25
Maru - 22
Penny - 22
Abigail - 21
Haley - 21


**********************




Chapter 1


“Once you have completed the quest, then will you return. How long it takes to complete, will depend upon the hearts of each and every one of you…”

“WHAT IS THE QUEST!?”

The Wizard’s smirk and glowing eyes held their attention as the neon green smoke from the cauldron instantly shot upward, slamming into the ceiling before settling down upon them, encircling them, obstructing their view from anyone and everything.

Each person stood alone, trembling as flashes of electricity lit up in every direction within the smoke, as if it had just formed into one giant storm cloud, and they were in the center of it. They weren’t exactly sure what was happening and wondered if they should hold their breath to keep from suffocating. They soon discovered they couldn’t move and even if they could, where would they go? The smoke, or cloud, seemed to stretch on and on into eternity. They couldn’t utter any words either, for no one would hear them. Time seemed to stand still in this…plane of existence or whatever it was.

Soon their eyes closed, just for a few seconds. When they opened again, the thick smoke began to clear. Colors were beginning to appear; revealing various different household objects and decor as they gradually came into view. Another room they found themselves in.

When they felt the ability to move and speak again, each one was so mesmerized at this very unfamiliar place they landed in. They took a look around for a split second before spotting each other. Mouths then dropped. They didn’t appear the way they had always known each other, or themselves, to look. In an instant they all screamed.



Once the initial shock passed, each girl naturally looked down and began observing herself, frozen in awe over how drastically different she appeared.
“How is this possible?” Maru asked in a barely audible voice.
“We look so…so,” Emily struggled to find the right word, “SMOOTH!”
“Yes!” Leah agreed. “Smooth and slim like a zucchini. This is strange!”
Haley kept uttering “OMG,” over and over again, and then lamented about how her beautiful body and clothes were ruined while the others made small comments about the differences in each other’s appearance. She was the first to speak for all of them by asking, “Where in Stardew Valley are we?”



“Uhh,” Abigail started, still gazing around the room in silence trying to piece this mysterious puzzle together. “I think it’s pretty clear we’re not in Stardew Valley anymore…”

Penny gasped loudly in the background, holding her hand to her chest. It was growing tighter by the second, her heart palpitating behind it. She could feel her face growing pale and the blood pounding in her ears. “We’re never going to see Pelican Town again?” she whispered in a developing panic.
Leah turned to her and assured, “Sure we will sweetie. Remember what the Wizard said? If we--“
“My mother will be worried sick when she finds I’ve disappeared!” Penny exclaimed, panting. “She’ll search and search and…I won’t be found and…she’ll drink herself to death!”



It was no mystery to the residents of Pelican Town that her mother, Pam, was a heavy drinker due to the woes of her past. Penny’s vision blurred as she trembled at the thought and before she (or Leah) could utter another word, her eyes rolled into her head and her body fell onto the floor with a loud thump. Leah gasped, unable to catch her in time.
“Oh! Penny!” Maru exclaimed, holding a hand to her mouth.



The other three girls instantly turned at the sound and stared at Penny’s seemingly lifeless body with concern.

“Oh my gosh is she okay!?” Emily asked, as Maru crouched down by Penny’s side and took her hand, patting it, hoping to wake her.
“She fainted,” Maru informed, even though everyone knew that. “We can’t leave her here on the floor. Leah, help me get her to a bed.”
“Of course!” Leah said.
Abigail promptly stepped past them to find a bedroom and keep the door open for them while they carried Penny in. Thankfully a large, nicely decorated room with two single beds was only a few feet away.

The two sisters of the group, Haley and Emily, watched in pity as the two carried the sweet and kindhearted tutor to the children of Pelican Town into the room. Both didn’t know her very well, but they knew she was a good person and hoped she’d wake soon and be alright.
“I’m surprised that’s not you passed out in there,” Emily joked to her ever dramatic sister, pointing her thumb in the direction of the room.



Hand on her hip, Haley scowled at her older sister and said, “Ha, ha.”
Emily’s bright smile then softened into a normal one. “So uh, that hug you gave me a few moments ago…that was quite…surprising.”
Haley’s cheeks flushed a little with embarrassment, but she tried to act casual by shrugging and saying, “Well, uh, you kinda looked a little freaked out so I thought I would, uh, let you know that I’m here too.” She tucked a bit of hair behind her ear.
Emily nodded, still grinning. “It’s almost like you were happy to see me here.”
“Oh shut up,” Haley said, lightly kicking Emily’s shoe. “I’m just happy we don’t have to keep the house clean while mom and dad are away for the time being.”
“We?” Emily corrected. “There was never any ‘we,’ when it came the housecleaning and you know it…”
Haley rolled her eyes and muttered, “Whatevs…”

Back in the bedroom, Maru and Leah looked down upon Penny with a sad look in their eyes. Abigail stood back by the door somewhat listening, but lost in her thoughts.
“Poor girl,” Leah said. “I wish I had caught her before hitting the floor, or better yet noticed that she was having a panic attack!”
“Don’t blame yourself,” Maru said, “we were all a little preoccupied with our emotions in that moment.”



“Do you think she’ll wake up soon?”
“I hope so. I’ve never seen a fainting spell last this long…Outside of the movies anyway.”
“Her face sure is sweaty.”
“Yeah,” she observed too, chewing on her lower lip. “If you can find a cold compress somewhere, or even a cool wet rag, that we can place on her forehead maybe that might help her regain consciousness.”

“Hey,” Abigail piped in. “I’m gonna go do a little investigating while you two take care of her alright? Let me know when she wakes up.”
“Will do,” Leah said as she walked on past her heading for the kitchen.

Outside the bedroom Emily approached Abigail just as she closed the door behind her. “Hey, is Penny okay?” she asked her.
“I’m not sure,” Abigail replied with a sigh. “She hasn’t woken up yet and I’m getting this feeling something else is wrong with her…”



“Oh,” Emily said, an air of melancholy surrounding them. “Well how about I go outside and see what I might be able to find in nature that might help wake her up or calm her nerves. I read this amazing book back home about the healing properties of various plants and I’m sure all that Herbology stuff is the same here.”



Abigail tried not to roll her eyes as she said, “I doubt herbs are going to help her Emily. If anything she needs a Doctor.”
“Please just…allow me to help,” Emily pleaded with her eyes, longing for something productive to do.



“Okay…,”Abigail allowed with a sigh.

While Emily happily skipped away towards the back door, Haley had been studying her face in a mirror on the wall and asked, “Girl, do you know what in Stardew Valley this red spot is on my chin? It’s totally killing my flawless complexion!”
How am I supposed to know!? Abigail exclaimed in her head while approaching her. An investigation of this world and the town is definitely in order! And she was ready to do just that!

But then her stomach growled.

Meanwhile, when Leah returned to the bedroom with a cold rag, Maru sat on the edge of the bed and dabbed at Penny’s forehead with it.

“Why would the Wizard send us to an entirely different world than our own to go on some quest for him?” Leah asked her. “You think he was too chicken to do it himself?”
“No idea,” she replied, only partly paying attention. All she could think about was the well being of her dear friend.
“I knew he meddled with strange magic,” Leah continued, “but I didn’t know he had this kind of power! It’s rather frightening.”
“It really is. Something Mayor Lewis should—“
“Mmm,” the two heard Penny mumble. Their eyes lit up as her eyelids gradually began to open.

“Hey,” Maru softly greeted her with a smile. “You’re awake!”
Penny blinked at her for a second before carefully lifting herself up onto her elbows, groaning from the pain of the fall, to take a look around. Her heart started pounding again. “We’re still here?”
“Yes,” Maru answered.
“So it wasn’t all just a terrible dream?”
“…No.”

Penny then fell back onto the bed and began to hyperventilate again; her eyes darting this way and that. Maru hushed her while squeezing her hand. “It’s okay Penny. Just take some deep breaths,” she said. “You have nothing to fear. We’re all in this together and we’ll help each other do whatever it takes to return home.”



Penny closed her eyes and shook her head. “No, you don’t understand!” she said with a choke. “I can’t be here. I have to be at home!”
“We know honey,” Leah said. “Your mom will be just fine. Gus will take care of her.”
“No,” Penny said, squeezing the tears out of her eyes now. “It’s not just her. I’m worried about Jas and Vincent. They need me! What will they do without me?”
“They’ll fare just fine,” Maru assured, stroking her cheek. “Relax.”
“I CAN’T RELAX!” she nearly shouted. “That psycho Wizard threw us into this netherworld to go on some ‘quest,’ he didn’t even have the decency to give us any details about and now…I…” she panted, “I mean…we…may never see our family and friends…again. I can’t,” she stopped to catch another breath, “I can’t do this! I’m so…so scared!”
“We’re all scared,” Maru told Penny, dabbing the wet cloth on her forehead again, hoping it’d calm her, “but right now I’m worried about you. I don’t want you passing out again so you need to please try to relax!”
“I’m trying!” she whispered breathlessly, closing her eyes. “But I just…can’t…,” her voice trailed off as her rapid breathing suddenly stopped and her head drooped down toward her chest.

“Penny!” Maru cried out, immediately checking her neck for a pulse. She let out a breath of relief when she felt one, and then gently shook her friend’s shoulder a bit. “Penny? Penny? Oh dear Leah I think she passed out again.” She squeezed at her forehead with her forefingers and expelled a breath.
“Bless her heart,” was all Leah could say. “I didn’t know she had anxiety like this.”
“Me neither,” Maru said, gently brushing away a strand of hair from Penny’s clammy forehead. “I’m not leaving her side until I know she’s stable. If there’s something else you’d rather be doing please go right on ahead. I sure appreciated your help.”
“No, I’ll stick around for a bit,” Leah said. “I need to be sure she’s okay too.”
Maru smiled and turned her gaze back toward Penny.



Meanwhile, Abigail knew she couldn’t go investigating on an empty stomach. It took about 20 minutes for her to raid the refrigerator, which was miraculously stocked with enough food to last them a few days, and prepare a meal for everyone: chicken salad full of various healthy vegetables and sprinkled with cheese and spices.



Haley, upon catching a whiff of it, expressed feeling “uber famished” herself and promptly grabbed a plate, while her sister returned “home” from the back door.

“So I got nothing from the plants out there!” Emily disappointingly informed, wiping the sweat from her brow with her arm, “but did you girls notice the garden we have out back? Many of the plants are growing in this giant greenhouse and there’s like every fruit tree you can imagine out there!”
“Gardening. Great!” Haley sarcastically said with a mouth full of food. “I was hoping we’d get away from that…”



“Interesting,” Abigail thoughtfully said while gripping her chin; fascinated by the Wizard’s unimaginable powers and knowledge that he kept so cleverly hidden from the residents of Pelican Town. She started to wish she’d actually gotten to know him back home. She always had this strange desire to, but her parents, Pierre and Caroline, forbade her to make any contact with him. They said it was for her own safety, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was some other reason they were keeping secret from her. Her intuition was unlike any other and no one seemed to take notice of her special gift. Oftentimes she preferred it that way.

In five minutes time Abigail wolfed down the delicious salad and made her way into the bedroom where Penny lay before departing.

“Hey,” she greeted Leah and Maru. “Wow. Penny’s still not awake yet?”
“Oh no, she woke up briefly about a half hour ago,” Leah informed, “but she immediately started panicking again and we tried to calm her, but…she passed out again. Sorry we didn’t tell you.”
“Oh my gosh!” Abigail expressed. “Is that even normal, for someone to pass out twice like that?”
“I don’t know,” Maru replied, coming up from the bed and approaching her, “but something’s wrong with her Abigail and I’m getting really worried. Her pulse is erratic and her face is so pale and sweaty. I’m not sure what to do.” She’d been wracking her brain for minutes trying to remember what the good Doctor Harvey, whom she worked for back home, would do in this case.



“That’s it!” Abigail declared, throwing one hand up and opening the bedroom door with the other. “I’m going to go find help! There’s gotta be a Doctor around here somewhere. No one is dying in this world. Not on my watch!”
Leah’s eyes widened. “Would the Wizard really allow that to happen?”

Abigail froze in her tracks as she met eyes with Leah, and then to Maru, within such a depressing silence. “I want to believe he wouldn’t,” she paused, “but we don’t know anything about him, and I don’t think he has any control over here. It’s all up to us to fend for ourselves and make it back home in one piece.”

Leah lowered her head. “Why did he do this to us?”
“I dunno, but we’ll have to discuss all that later,” Abigail said heading for the front door. “I’m going. Y’all stay here and don’t go anywhere until I get back!”
“What?” Maru exclaimed, following after her. “Surely you won’t go alone? Take someone with you!”
“Yeah,” Leah agreed.
“Not me!” Haley declared with a shake of her head.
“I’ll go with you!” Emily cried out, holding up her hand.
“No!” Abigail snapped. “I appreciate it Emily and no offense, but you’ll just slow me down. I can better search if I’m not worried about someone else to keep track of. I’ll be as quick as I can. Bye girls!”

When the door closed, all the girls stood in silence except for Hailey who was leaning against the bar picking at a fingernail. “Five pieces of Gold she doesn’t make it back before sundown,” she bet them.
“HALEY!” they all cried.



“What!?” she asked, turning towards them. Their face expressions rather surprised her. “Oh c’mon girls, we all know she’s a freak! I bet the first thing she finds is a Graveyard and won’t be able to resist waiting until sundown at the chance to see a ghost, especially one from this mysterious new world.”

Maru folded her arms and shook her head. “I didn’t get the freak vibe from her at all,” she voiced. “She’s worried about Penny just as much as we are and is acting on it. And as I recall you didn’t jump at the chance to venture out there and find help.”
Emily’s eyebrows rose at the audacity.
“Whatever,” Haley disregarded, “y’all know I’m right,” and turned around to pick at her nail once more.

The remaining three girls shot glances at each other with pursed lips. They’d certainly heard all the gossip in the past about the strange, young, purple haired daughter to the local store owner and all the odd things she’d been seen doing – nibbling on gemstones as one example - and expressing belief in. They could only hope Abigail would not be tempted by new fascinations and stick to the task at hand.

They may have all resided for years in the same tiny town together, but there was still so much they didn't know about each other.


🙂

  • KevinL5275's avatar
    KevinL5275
    Rising Traveler
    5 years ago
    Oh oh oh!! A new Emily story!! Whoohooo! And now I understand your Harvey signature pic. :)

    Can't wait to catch up.
  • emorrill's avatar
    emorrill
    Hero
    5 years ago
    "KevinL5275;c-17425824" wrote:
    Oh oh oh!! A new Emily story!! Whoohooo! And now I understand your Harvey signature pic. :)

    Can't wait to catch up.


    @KevinL5275 ^Yup. :blush: Thanks for reading buddy. :)
  • KevinL5275's avatar
    KevinL5275
    Rising Traveler
    5 years ago
    I finally got caught up, and as usual your sim-women are beautiful. :D Are they new or recreations of other sims?

    I don't know Stardew Valley either, but I have heard of it. Good luck in writing more!
  • squirreltail15's avatar
    squirreltail15
    5 years ago
    YAS! I am an avid Stardew player and this is great. P.S. Add in more of the townies - remember the whole clint/emily thing?
    Also Abby's clothes are perfect - the match the game really well.
  • emorrill's avatar
    emorrill
    Hero
    5 years ago
    "KevinL5275;c-17426739" wrote:
    I finally got caught up, and as usual your sim-women are beautiful. :D Are they new or recreations of other sims?

    I don't know Stardew Valley either, but I have heard of it. Good luck in writing more!


    @KevinL5275 ^Thanks buddy. :blush: They are new creations that I based off looking at Stardew Valley pics of them. :)

    I hope to write more soon, but...the leisure in my life has come to a drastic halt due to the fact that I have to homeschool now for the next couple of weeks. :pensive: I really feel school will be out for good afterward...I don't think they're going to contain this COVID-19 in a matter of three weeks... *sigh* This is all so CRAZY! :fearful:


    "SquirrelTail15;c-17428851" wrote:
    YAS! I am an avid Stardew player and this is great. P.S. Add in more of the townies - remember the whole clint/emily thing?
    Also Abby's clothes are perfect - the match the game really well.


    @SquirrelTail15 Hey! :smiley: Thanks for popping in and thanks for reading. :blush: I always enjoy seeing what other Stardew Valley fans think of my story (as long as their comments are nice. ;) :p ). Hee hee.

    I'm very well aware of the Clint and Emily thing. :smirk: But no I won't be creating the other characters. This story just focuses on the 6 bachelors and 6 bachelorettes. :) Just WHAT does the Wizard have in store for them in this whole new world? ;)

    Thank you. It's an EA Store outfit and I was pleasantly surprised just how well it resembled Abby's normal outfit. :)
    Hopefully I can write up the remainder of Chapter 5 soon. Stay Tuned!
  • PalmArrow's avatar
    PalmArrow
    Seasoned Hotshot
    5 years ago
    I just came back to the forum after a while and your thread was one of the first things I checked. I love the updates - so many moments are adorable and funny (like everyone playing with their smartphones!), but some moments are also creepy in a very intriguing way. It was smart of Harvey to check for the cashier's pulse!
  • emorrill's avatar
    emorrill
    Hero
    5 years ago
    "PalmArrow;c-17431413" wrote:
    I just came back to the forum after a while and your thread was one of the first things I checked. I love the updates - so many moments are adorable and funny (like everyone playing with their smartphones!), but some moments are also creepy in a very intriguing way. It was smart of Harvey to check for the cashier's pulse!


    @PalmArrow Hey lady! :smiley: Long time no see! Hope you're doing well. <3 Gosh it's crazy in the world right now isn't it? :fearful:

    Aww, my story thread was one of the first you checked? That warms my heart. :kissing_heart: Thank you for reading and I'm glad you enjoyed it. :) These past few chapters have been fun to write and I've died laughing in certain parts! :lol: I hope I can continue on with Chapter 5 and finish it soon in my free time (which is the evenings now since I've gotta homeschool daughter and the school has a pretty strict curriculum we gotta adhere to... :pensive: )
  • emorrill's avatar
    emorrill
    Hero
    5 years ago
    Hey friends. :) Sorry it took SO long to get this out, but...you can understand with how crazy everything's been the past month. I'm glad I'm feeling better enough to write. <3

    Hope y'all enjoy! :blush:

    When we last left off, Harvey, Alex and Shane just discovered that the cashier lady at the Grocery Store is an Android or...something. :grey_question:

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Pelican Town to Sims Town
    Continuation of Chapter 5...


    Meanwhile, Abigail, Leah and Maru loaded themselves up into one of the vehicles that was also provided for them and made their way toward the hills behind their home. If there was any place to go foraging and find various rocks and soil, it would be in those hills.

    https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49593257497_0212d13fd0_c.jpg

    The sky held a salmon pink glow as they followed the road up into the hills, which would soon become a cerulean hue once the sun made its way above the horizon.

    The road came to an end before a medium sized lake, surrounded by a dusty terrain spotted with rocks and dead grasses, with a skinny, multi-colored waterfall, much to the girl’s surprise, raining down into it from three giant boulders. Whether the water came from a natural source or was the work of magic they couldn’t be sure and didn’t think too hard on it. They just stood in awe over its glimmering beauty.

    https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49593014771_794efbfd1e_c.jpg

    “Is that...rainbow water?” Leah asked curiously with peered eyes.
    “It’s breathtaking!” Abigail whispered. This world is spectacular!
    “No, not literal rainbow water,” Maru answered, studying the whole scene very carefully, “or else the water in the lake would also be rainbow colored. See how the water falls into a rainbow glow on the surface of the water,” she pointed, “yet the colors do not spread. Interesting…”
    “Fascinating,” Leah breathed.
    “It could be the way the light is reflecting off the water droplets, therefore producing a rainbow effect,” Maru intelligently concluded. But wait...the sun hasn’t fully risen into the sky yet...Hmm?
    “That or it’s a magical waterfall,” Abigail continued to admire. “I wonder if it’s really even water or just an illusion. I’d love to get a closer look!”
    “That may be dangerous,” Maru cautioned, snapping out of her thoughts. “Look how steep the slope is below those giant boulders. I wouldn’t recommend it.”
    Abigail did notice and curled her lower lip between her teeth in disappointment. If I could just get close enough, she thought, then I could...no. There’s not enough cover. Nevermind. She sighed.

    “Let’s get to work,” Maru directed, “we’ve got a lot to collect.”
    The other two nodded, pulling out a crumpled up grocery bag from their pockets.
    “Okay, you two will be collecting plants, grasses, seeds, and any other bits of vegetation that you feel might aid us,” Maru began. “If something looks neat or even odd, grab it. We don’t want to miss anything. We’ll work on collecting insects after we do that.”
    The two ladies nodded in acknowledgement again.
    “While you two are foraging I’m going to collect soil samples, and a sample of this lake water, as well as do a little fishing,” she smiled. This was the one time she was thankful her dad took her out fishing as a kid.
    Abigail took a quick look around and noticed a fence behind the waterfall that stretched out many feet on each side. “I think I might sneak over that fence and collect stuff too,” she said. “Lots of greener vegetation over there; should be some good stuff.”
    “Sounds good,” Maru nodded. “We’ll hit up some other areas around the countryside too, but for now let’s get to work as quickly as possible here while still being thorough in our search.”

    When Maru turned her back to the girls for a moment, Abigail leaned towards Leah and whispered in her ear, “She’s starting to sound like Harvey.”
    “Oh I know!” Leah whispered back with a snicker, thinking the same. “She’s been working with him for WAY too long!”
    “Almost to the point that they’re starting to look like each other!”
    “Just like an old married couple!”
    Their chuckles got louder.
    “You know, I bet those two will--” Abigail started.

    “What’s so funny?” Maru asked them.
    Instantly the ridiculous grins appeared. “Nothing,” Leah replied. “We’ll...uh...get to the foraging now.”
    “Yup!” Abigail chimed in. “Don’t want to waste anymore time!”
    “Okaaay,” Maru acknowledged, shooting them a questionable look. She watched them gather for a few seconds and then turned and made for the car.

    She pulled out a handy little scanner doo-dad from the backseat that she found resting on the chemistry table in her bedroom she shared with Abigail. She wasn’t sure how to use it, but after fiddling with it a bit she was able to figure a few things out.

    “Okay,” she whispered, stepping closer to the lake. “Let’s see what kind of reading I get from the lake water here.”

    https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49592515838_39a71ebf65_c.jpg

    The handheld device’s ability to collect various amounts of informative and scientific data on whatever it was being aimed at, even at a far distance, was beyond fascinating! The budding little inventor that is Maru, found herself geeking out all over it. It was a relief to see that many things from this world were made up of the same molecular structure as things similar to it in their world back home. That would certainly make doing research and studying much easier! I must pass this info on to Harvey, she thought, it should ease his mind a bit.

    She knelt down and gathered a hefty sample of water into one of the test tubes she carried in her pocket, sealed it, and then went on to collect different colors of soil from all around the lake. With all of the tubes safely placed in the car’s backseat cup holders, she grabbed the fishing rod - also found in her room - and stood near the edge of the lake and cast the line.

    https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49592513873_d17959f2c4_c.jpg

    While she fished, Abigail picked up some fallen leaves from a large crimson colored tree. In the corner of her eye the rainbow waterfall continued to flow and greatly called out to her, but she would have to ignore it for now.

    When she made her way to the fence line, she took a quick look from the left to the right, making sure no strangers were around to witness her jump over it.

    https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49593255577_f4ca3e6387_c.jpg

    When the coast was clear, she stepped up onto the middle fence post, carefully swung her other leg over, and landed on the other side with ease. She smiled while gazing at all the clusters of pine trees and went right on collecting the needles, cones, a long piece of bark, and even a solid drip of sap.

    The forested area seemed unusually quiet. Normally there’d be the random sound of a bird chirping, cicadas singing, or a gentle breeze rustling the leaves. There was none of that, only silence and there was quite a vast forest spread out in front of her. It felt a little unsettling, but at the same time she didn’t sense an air of danger. The dried pine needles cracked beneath her feet, piercing the silence, as she inched her way deeper into the trees to collect whatever else she might find. She stumbled upon a patch of mushrooms, hoping they weren’t poisonous, even some growing on the trees producing little platforms, but one thing she knew for certain is that some could be used for medicinal purposes so she collected as much as she could store.

    As she continued on her way she suddenly crashed into some unseen force that sent her flying backward and landing onto her back. “Ow!” she cried out, even though the collision didn’t hurt much. It felt like she ran into a gel padded wall. Carefully getting back onto her feet she peered ahead, still seeing the vast forest, but knew better than to keep walking forward. She reached out her hand, her forefingers raised, inching forward until they indeed met with something solid. It felt like a soft, invisible sheet and her touch created a ripple that spread out far into the treetops. Her mouth dropped in awe and question as she watched. Is this some kind of a barrier? Why is it here? Then her heart really pounded. Are we living in a giant bubble? But...why!? Breathing heavily now she whipped out her phone and called Harvey.

    When he answered she started off by saying, “You’re not going to believe this...but I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.”

    Meanwhile on the other side of the fence, Maru finished fishing, capturing three different kinds of fish, and then went on to forage as well.

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    Across the waterfall from her, Leah happened upon a rather large seed lying on the ground.

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    It seemed more like a pod, perhaps containing other smaller seeds in it, but she couldn’t be sure. She was tempted to pry or crack it open to see, but figured she better not and just dropped it into her bag. Then she sighed, staring off towards the town. Is it really necessary for us to gather all this stuff? Surely the stores have all that we need. I wonder what kind of information Elliott has gathered from the computer? She smiled and closed her eyes, thinking of her love and missing him once again. Maybe I should call him?

    “Maru! Leah!” Abigail called out. “You girl’s have gotta see this!”

    I guess I’ll just see him when we get back.


    *******************************



    Back at the guy’s house, Elliott was completely immersed in the "World-Wide-Web," finding all sorts of information on the history of the world and town where they currently resided.

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    His eyes glued to the screen, he returned to some notes he’d been taking in a separate word document and naturally he wrote it all up like a story. He read it aloud to himself in a whisper to refresh his mind, “The town of Appaloosa started out as a cowboy ranch town in the Midwest of Deserta - southern continent of Simthaer - on the edge of a major highway. As time passed, the town degenerated into nearly a ghost town when a few city slickers arrived turning the area into a bustling hub of activity. With their bags of gold they retrofitted the town with modern amenities while eagerly believing they’d acquired their own slice of country paradise. The clash between the old and the new is relatively apparent, with some elderly die-hards clinging to the remaining vestiges of life as they knew it.”

    Hmm, he stopped to think, glancing up and staring at the blank wall. A bustling hub of activity? I’m really not getting that vibe here, but...maybe it’s just me.

    His concentration and thoughts were continually being disrupted by the sound of music coming from the room next to his.

    Sebastian and Sam were jamming out on the various musical instruments in their room, getting familiar with them, ultimately settling on the electric guitar and drums. The drums were Sam’s favorite instrument to play, next to the guitar. Sebastian normally played keyboard and only recently learned to play guitar due to the fact that Sam had been wanting to start a band with him and Abigail for a while and expressed sometimes wanting to play the drums depending on the song. Sebastian also wrote up a couple of songs for their soon to be band and Sam wrote out the guitar and drum parts, leaving Sebastian to figure out the keyboard part later. They practiced the songs so much back home that they had them memorized and couldn’t wait to jam them out in this new world. The two were indeed a talented pair of virtuosos.

    “The extra strings on this guitar are so flippin’ sweet!” Sebastian expressed to his buddy, lightly plucking at them. “More notes for us to learn and experiment with.”
    “Fo sho!” Sam concurred. “Let’s see how we can add those extra notes into your ‘Nutcase’ song.”
    “Yeah! Let’s do it!”

    “Time to wing it!” Sam declared, raising his drumsticks in the air. “You ready?”
    Sebastian positioned his fingers and nodded.
    Then Sam counted while hitting the sticks together, “One, two, three, four…”

    The sounds from the guitar strings instantly permeated the room, producing a catchy Rock tune as Sebastian began singing the lyrics. He wouldn’t call himself a great singer, but he wasn’t terrible. Soon Sam would join in on the drums.

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    The first few bars of the song sounded pretty good to Elliott through the wall, but after hearing it being replayed over and over and over again during his research, the key changing each time, began to wear on his nerves. Nevertheless he pressed on. He was just too darn curious about this world and didn’t wish to cause any contention in the household on their second day here, even though it would surely happen. He still shuddered to think about living for months with these guys when he was so used to living on his own.

    “Okay that time it didn’t sound so good,” Sebastian expressed with a grimace.
    “Yeah, the verse notes sounded alright, but the chorus suc’ked,” Sam said.
    Looking thoughtful, Sebastian then said, “The time I played it in this new E-flat major sounded righteous!” He re-positioned his fingers over the guitar strings. “Let me see if I can remember...”
    “True!” Sam pointed with his drumstick. “Alrighty, from the top then?”
    “Yeah.”

    Thinking the guys had finally taken a break in playing, that ever familiar Rock sound once again rang in Elliott’s ears. His fingers slammed down onto the keyboard with his forehead nearly following suit. He’d had enough!

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    He jumped up from his chair and headed straight for the other bedroom door. Raising his fist to knock he suddenly stopped himself. Something within him told him to chill because he was somewhat of a musician himself and could respect a good jam while trying to experiment with a song. And obviously the two young men weren’t trying to bother him. It wouldn’t be fair or kind to just burst in there and yell at them, especially when he really had no authority to do so. This is something he would just have to learn to get used to.

    He lowered his head with a sigh and thought, I swear those boys act like teenagers and it drives me nuts! Or am I just turning into an old man prematurely? He cracked a smile. Nah...let them keep thinking Harvey is the oldest and authoritative one here. I refuse to get too involved in anything, especially drama. Standing up straight and clearing his throat he calmly opened the door, approaching the situation in a different manner now.

    “Hey,” Elliott addressed through the music. “Could you guys maybe take a break from playing for a bit? I can’t concentrate on my research.” He paused, seeing the guys acknowledge, but choosing to finish the song before stopping. “Besides...we’re all supposed to be exploring and discovering all we can about this place today.”

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    “We are discovering something about this place,” Sam spoke in between drum beats, “the musical instruments!” He threw out a cheesy grin.
    “They’re pretty much the same as they are in our world,” Elliott retorted.
    “No,” Sebastian corrected, “they are quite different. For example, this guitar has six strings instead of four. Can you believe that!?”
    That prompted Elliott to glance over at the keyboard to study and see if it too had more keys than his piano back home.
    “That means there’s more musical notes to discover,” Sebastian went on with a grin.
    “And that's so rad!” Sam added. “Wait until I get my hands on that guitar!”
    “Besides Elliott, this is enlightening ourselves is it not?”
    “What he said!”

    Elliott just stared at them both with his mouth in a hard line and a raised bow, not willing to give them the pleasure of admitting they are right, but rather...doing something else. “I’ll show you two what key this song belongs in.” And he headed straight for the keyboard, sitting himself down.

    Sam and Sebastian shot each other some bright-eyed looks of wonder as they kept on playing.

    They didn’t even have to start the song over, Elliott jumped right in on the keyboard, knowing exactly when to, leading it into a key change that hadn’t been attempted yet and the other two naturally followed suit. The more Sebastian played in the new key the more he began to approve of it and soon...he began to love it. He and Sam now jammed louder and with more feeling than before. “Fantastic!” Sebastian gleefully voiced.

    “Wow Elliott,” Sam began, “I’d heard you played the piano some, but I didn’t know you were this good!”
    “You should totally join our band!” Sebastian blurted out in excitement, without fully thinking about that first.
    Sam rapidly shook his head ‘no’ at him.
    “Not on your life kid,” Elliott said, secretly loving the feeling of the music pulsing through his soul from each fingertip. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes for a moment, smiling. It’d been too long since he played and he missed it more than he realized.

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    Yeah, I still got it!

    *****************************

    :blush:


    To be continued...

    Author's Note: The song Sam and Sebastian were playing I imagined to sound something similar to this song:

    Spoiler
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTwJo0HeNmU
    :p
  • emorrill's avatar
    emorrill
    Hero
    5 years ago
    Pelican Town to Sims Town
    Continuation of Chapter 5...


    After they finished foraging all around the lake, Abigail, Leah, and Maru got back into the car and traveled down to the base of the hills where they happened upon a walking path that led...somewhere. Their curiosity was piqued. It was now midday and the outside temperature was rising quickly. Walking the path in the heat with barely any trees around to provide shade didn’t sound too appealing to Leah, who never cared for hot weather to begin with. “I say if the trail is longer than a mile we turn back,” she suggested. “Besides I’m almost out of water.” They each felt guilty for not packing more.

    During their mile walk they all happened upon a few different gemstones sitting around on the grass just off the path which seemed...interesting to them all, but mostly to Abigail. Finding these was too easy, she thought with a raised brow. Then her eyes caught hold upon a tall and massive structure; a water tower. “Oh wow!” she breathed and darted towards it to get a closer look. Leah and Maru followed.

    “Oh my goodness isn’t it amazing!?” Abigail asked, clasping her hands together in excitement.
    Leah glanced over at Maru and asked, “Are you seeing just a water tower too?”
    “Yup,” came the reply.
    “Okay. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't hallucinating from the heat or something…”
    Maru stifled a chuckle.

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    “Sorry girls,” Abigail said, somewhat overhearing, “I know it’s not the usual thing to get excited about, but I’ve only ever seen one in books and they were always kinda cool to me. I’m gonna go stand underneath it! Join me if you want.” And off she went.

    Leah and Maru stayed put, standing side by side gazing up at the tower. A light breeze kissed at their cheeks.
    “Well,” Maru started with a sigh, “you mentioned being almost out of water so…,” she gestured with her head and winked.
    “NO thanks!” Leah emphatically voiced. “I’d rather drink from the lake back there than that smelly, stagnant water that’s been in that tower for goodness knows how long!”
    Maru laughed. She felt exactly the same.


    *****************************



    Back at the girl’s house, Emily had been hard at work harvesting the fruits and vegetables that were ready out in the backyard, while Haley hung out on her bed surfing the World-Wide Web from her cell phone, teetering her legs and blowing gum bubbles. Penny was taking it easy, per Harvey’s orders, and sat on the couch reading some books while sipping on water at the same time. Once noon approached they were all hungry and joined up in the kitchen to find something to eat.

    At the table, upon finishing her lunch, Haley groaned, “I’m so bored!” Emily just rolled her eyes. “Hey Emily, will you let me play with your hair?”
    “No,” her sister answered with a hint of annoyance. It’d been asked many times before. “I don’t know why you keep asking me, you know I don’t like it.”
    “Well maybe because it’s fun and,” she then mumbled, “you could use a new style.”
    Emily heard and shot her a look.
    “Or at least let me put some make-up on you. I promise to use only the colors you want.”
    “No…”
    “Oooh, are you offering a makeover?” Penny asked in her ever soft tone. “That sounds like fun!”

    Haley glanced over at Penny with wide eyes and a bright grin, like she’d just seen a giant diamond. “You'd like a makeover? Because girl I’ve been wanting to play with your hair for a LONG time!”
    Penny wasn’t exactly sure what she meant by that, but she smiled and replied, “Sure. I’d love to get some ideas on how to better style my hair. I figure I’m about due for a new look.” She cupped one of her loose buns with a blush and might’ve been thinking about wanting to surprise Harvey.
    “Yeah girl because pony buns are SO ten years ago,” Haley said with a dismissive wave. “No offense…”
    “None taken. I’ve kinda kept this same look since I was 16 so…”
    “Well what are we waiting for?” Haley asked, holding out her hands. “Come with muah!” And she led Penny into the bedroom like an excited schoolgirl at recess.
    Emily lowered her head and thought, Oh boy…

    Haley pulled a chair up to the vanity and bid Penny sit down. Then she stood directly behind her, studying her, as they both stared into the large mirror.

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    “Okay,” the blonde began, “so what we want to do is give you a more womanly look since you’re not in the schoolhouse tutoring kids anymore and...you’re in your twenties now, right?”
    “Yes. Twenty-two.”
    “Perfect! I have just the right look in mind for you. Let me go plug in the curling iron and then I’ll give your hair a good brush while it’s heating up!”
    “O-Okay,” Penny said, suddenly feeling a little nervous.
    Emily passed by Haley while entering the room and sat herself down in a nearby chair. She and Penny exchanged smiles for a moment and then she said, “There’s no going back now,” and winked.
    “Yeeeah. Should I be nervous?”
    “No. She’s the best,” Emily sincerely replied.
    “Alrighty!” Haley practically squealed upon entering the room again with a brush in hand. “Out with the old Penny and in with the new!”
    Oh dear, Penny thought, with a gulp, I hope this is a good idea…

    Haley pulled the hair ties out of Penny’s hair more forcefully than she cared for, but could tell Haley was already enjoying herself. That always made Penny happy, helping others feel happy. The three girls made small talk as Haley ran many brush strokes through Penny’s fine, auburn hair. The time soon came to use the curling iron and Haley didn’t use it as much as Penny, and Emily, were expecting; just curling the ends of her hair and bangs.

    When she finished, she set down the curling iron and sighed while saying, “Well...it’s done. What do you think Penny?”
    “Wow!” came the whispered response.
    “I think you look fabulous!”
    “Beautiful,” Emily added.

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    Penny’s smile beamed while gazing at her reflection. For a moment she could hardly believe it was her. She felt prettier than she’d ever felt before, and more confident. Like a woman. I wonder what my mom would think of it? She dismissed the thought rather quickly though...because she knew exactly what the reaction would be.

    “Well? Do you like it?” Haley asked, feeling a little antsy.
    “I love it,” Penny expressed, “I feel like a whole new person.”
    “Yeah yeah girl! That’s the point!”

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    “The guys will be lining up outside the door just to ask you out,” Emily said with a wink.
    Penny blushed and pulled at the end of her hair a bit while looking away. “Oh I doubt that…”
    Then Emily playfully slapped her shoulder. “Yeah right! One of them is bound to get all googly-eyed over your new look like say...I dunno...SAM!”
    Penny whipped her head around and faced her with a look of shock.
    “Ohhhh yeah!” Haley chimed in. “I forgot about what that little squirt Vincent was going around and telling people.”
    The color drained from Penny’s face. “What was he telling people?” she asked, heart pounding.

    Now it was Haley who playfully slapped Penny’s shoulder. “Like you don’t know!” she exclaimed. “How he saw his older brother pinning you against a tree and--”
    “No,” Emily corrected, “he wasn’t pinning her against the tree, he was lifting her up into the tree and ‘they sat on a branch for hours flirting.’” She grinned at Penny. “Those were his words not mine.”
    Penny facepalmed. “Vincent saw that?” she whispered. “And told everyone about it?”
    “So it DID happen!?” Haley about squealed. “Oh now you gotta give us the details girl! What were you two doing up there?” She smirked.

    “Nothing!” Penny replied with a tone, her hand slapping down upon her lap. She felt mortified by the implication that’d been going around town against her knowledge. “We were just climbing a tree together, like we always did as kids, chatting about...oh I don’t even remember what we were chatting about.” Then she looked both of them straight in the eye. “Sam and I are just friends, nothing more. Sure I had a crush on him when I was thirteen, but...he never showed any interest in return so that faded and we continued on as friends.”

    Emily’s eyes lowered in remorse. “I’m sorry Penny...I didn’t mean to upset you.”
    “I’m sorry too,” Haley added.
    “It’s okay,” Penny kindly assured. “I can understand both of your curiosity.”
    “And if I’m being honest,” Emily added, “I had a hard time believing you and Sam were an item. You two are like total opposites to me.”
    “Well you know what they say? Opposites attract,” Haley said, picking at her nail.
    “Not in this case,” Penny politely said, then smiled. “I can see how Vincent misread what he saw. He’d sometimes ask me if I would ever become his big sister.” She chuckled, with a glimmer in her eye. “I love that kid. I miss him…” Now the smile disappeared as she tried not to let her emotions get the best of her again.
    Emily placed a comforting hand upon Penny’s and smiled.
    “I will say this, that Sam is mighty fine,” Haley said, fiddling with Penny’s hair again. “He and Alex both are. The best looking of the bunch I say!”
    Hearing that, Penny and Emily looked away for a moment, disagreeing.

    Once the short silence passed, Penny spoke. “Say Haley, do you have any cute outfits I could try on to go with my new look?”
    Haley’s face beamed. “I thought you would never ask!” She then had Penny stand in front of the floor mirror to get a better look at her.

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    “Hmm,” she mumbled, gripping her chin. “While I agree that yellow is a great color on you, it’s bright and screams energy, which is so not complimentary to your calm and quiet personality. We need something lighter, and I don’t want to go with any shade of green because it’s such a commonplace color for redheads.”
    Emily just shook her head with a slight grin.
    “Let me see what I can find here…”

    After trying on numerous different tops, Penny and Haley finally settled on one they both agreed with. Not only did it match with her hair, but with the darker shade of red in her skirt as well. Haley picked out a few accessories to go with it, as well as promptly ditching her stockings and fuchsia pumps for some matching strap heels. Lastly she applied a little makeup.

    “That should do it,” Haley concluded, gazing into the mirror with Penny.

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    “Girl you look amaze! Not to mention that top really shows off your amazing cleavage!”
    “HALEY!” Emily cried. “My gosh…”
    Penny blushed.
    “What!?” Haley cried, with her hands spread out. “‘If ya got it, flaunt it’ right? And this girl’s GOT it! It’s about time she flaunts it.”
    Emily gave her an unamused look. “There’s nothing wrong with being modest about it,” then she addressed Penny. “That aside, you really look stunning Penny. You’re gonna surprise everyone with your new look.”
    “Thanks,” came the sweet reply. I sure hope so… She then turned and gave Haley a hug, thanking her as well.

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    “It was my pleasure,” Haley said, giving her a quick squeeze before breaking the embrace. “Come back to me anytime you wanna change up your look.”
    “I think I’ll stick with this one for now, but thanks.”
    Emily came over and gave Penny a hug too. “Now go take on this new world sweetie!”
    “That’s the plan,” Penny said with a grin.

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    She now had a feeling that great things were going to come to pass for her here. So many opportunities had already opened themselves up before her. It felt glorious and freeing, something she really hadn’t felt in years. Her anxiety was gone and replaced with a renewed hope in the future.

    Jas and Vincent, take care sweeties. You’ll always hold a special place in my heart. And mom...I hope you know that I understand and...I forgive you for it. I pray you’ll be there to greet me when I return.


    ******************************



    Continued in the next post (hopefully :lol: ) below! ?
  • emorrill's avatar
    emorrill
    Hero
    5 years ago
    Continuation of Chapter 5...

    Author's Disclaimer:
    Spoiler
    There's a little bit of cursing in this one and references to addiction withdrawals.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------


    As the day wore on into the late afternoon, Abigail, Leah and Maru found themselves in a dusty area, surrounded by a low chain link fence, just down the hill from an old vacant gas station and gift shop. The enormous statue of some reptilian creature they just passed intrigued them, but also gave them the chills. But what was even more chilling, was running into skeletal remains of possibly just such a creature and they instantly froze in their tracks.

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    “Does this mean those giant reptiles actually exist!?” Leah asked with a shiver.
    “These are SO cool!” Maru said with excitement.
    “On the bright side Leah, this one is dead,” Abigail grinned.
    “NO! They HAVE to be extinct! Please oh please God let them be!” Leah cried, eyes closed and hands clapped together in prayer.
    “They most likely are,” Maru assured, stepping closer and placing her hand upon one of the bones. “These bones look ancient; and are fossilized. I’m gonna give one a quick scan with my handy dandy scanner here.” After a minute doing that, she informed, “Yup. These bones are 68 million years old.”
    “Oh thank you Lord!” Leah praised.
    “And they’re known as Dinosaurs,” Maru read on. “And they are indeed classified as reptiles.” She continued reading on in her head. “Hmm, this is fascinating. The existence of these creatures is WAY cool! But yeah, wouldn’t want to be alive during the same time as they were.”
    Leah shuddered again.
    “Do you think a fragment of these fossilized bones will be of any use to us?” Abigail asked.
    “Useful? I doubt it, but definitely great for studying and analyzing.”
    Abigail whipped out her phone again. “I’ll call Harvey again and ask just to be sure. He kinda blew me off earlier when I asked what his thoughts are on the barrier I ran into because something came up on his end I guess.” She shrugged and dialed.

    “Hey it’s me again,” she greeted when Harvey answered. “Why did you blow me off earlier?”
    “Sorry about that,” Harvey said, “we were trying to have a discussion with a guy at City Hall and...it wasn’t going so well.”
    “How do you mean?”
    “It’s,” he hesitated, “too much to explain over the phone, we’ll have to meet again as a group and talk about it later.”
    Her brows furrowed. “Okaaay. So anyway I called to tell you that we happened upon some 68 million year old bones from these giant reptiles called Dinosaurs!”
    “Really? That’s awesome!”
    “Yeah, so should we grab a fragment of one of these things? Will it be useful to us in any way or just for studying?”
    “It’s possible both. But yeah please do grab some fragments, I’d love to take a look at it.”
    “I figured as much,” she smiled. Definitely keeping one for myself!

    “So you guys haven’t run into any magical barriers too?” Abigail then asked him.
    “Nope,” he replied. “I doubt there will be any in town, but I’m sure if we traveled far out in the opposite direction from the hills we would.”
    “And what are your thoughts on the barrier?”
    “Well, it’s now apparent that magic is involved in this world. Perhaps the Wizard is trying to keep us contained into one area of it for the purpose of the quest.”
    “Ugh...that just makes me feel claustrophobic!”
    “It certainly creates a suffocating feeling for sure.”
    “But WHY though? And is this even a real world out in the cosmos or just one the Wizard created to watch us in like a snowglobe!?”
    “I don’t know Abigail, we’ll have to figure that out later. Right now I’m trying to find out where the Hospital is…”

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    “Yeah and you shouldn’t be driving and talking on the phone at the same time Harvey!” Shane raised his voice to purposely reach Abigail, straight through Alex’s ear it seemed.
    “Oh you’re driving?” Abigail asked. “You coulda told me that…”
    “Well we’d just gotten in the truck when you called and I didn’t want to ‘blow you off’ again,” Harvey said, “Plus I’m driving so slow here in town that I figured--”
    “He figured that HE, mister high and mighty, is okay to do it when normally he’d get after US for doing it!” Shane leaned over to yell once again into the phone.
    Harvey sighed. “I gotta go…,” he told Abigail, with an unamused look.
    “Yeah, good idea. Catch up with you guys later!”

    Shane leaned back into his seat, arms folded and with a proud smirk, but the feeling was short lived. As he watched the same buildings pass by again out the window, he let out an exasperated sigh. “Why do we need to find the Hospital right now anyway? None of us are dying or anything…”
    “Because,” Harvey snipped, carefully studying each building, “I wanna make sure I’m not the only living Physician around here.” I sure hope I’m not…

    He was still trying to recover from what the three of them were continuing to discover. When they stopped by the Library, Gym, Art Studio, City Hall, and other random offices and stores, they encountered the same android-like persons as the woman in the Grocery Store; carrying very little intelligence with pre-programmed responses. And they were all just manning the front desks, there were no other workers or residents mingling around. It was quickly becoming apparent that the twelve of them from Pelican Town were the only living and intelligent life forms on this planet...at least in this town, which seemed to be shut off from the rest of the world, as Abigail had recently informed. Harvey wasn’t ready to believe it, or to accept it, for many concerning reasons.

    Having gone up and down the streets of the small town a couple of more times and not discovering any sort of medical clinic (“Hey! There’s the Bar!” Shane exclaimed), Harvey pulled the truck over, stepped out and abruptly closed the door behind him, leaving the other two within. He wove his hands together behind his head and stared off into the distance, trying to catch his breath. Alex shot a questionable look at Shane, who just scowled and sunk back into his seat.

    Why are there no medical clinics or a Hospital here? Why aren’t there any real people? And why the barrier? Harvey asked in his mind.

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    He gazed up toward the sky. “It doesn’t make any sense!” he voiced. “WHY!?”

    Then he lowered his head. What is the meaning of all this? This is not what we signed up for. We were just supposed to go on a quest; do a favor for the Wizard. He sighed. God help us...if You’re even there.

    “Harvey?” Alex gently asked, he and Shane approaching him from behind. “You okay?”

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    Quickly pulling himself together, the Doctor replied, “Yeah. I will be.”
    Shane folded his arms. “Are you seriously getting emotional over the fact that there’s no Hospital?” he asked while rolling his eyes. “We’re not gonna need one.”
    “You don’t know that…”
    “The Wizard is playing some game with us in this made up world. We’ll solve it eventually without hurting ourselves.”
    “Again, you don’t know that.”
    “Don’t treat me like some mo'ron Harvey! I’m smarter than you think!”
    “He’s not saying you’re a mo'ron Shane,” Alex stepped in. “Harvey, it makes sense there aren’t any medical clinics here because the residents aren’t human.”
    “But WE’RE human. The Wizard knows this.”

    Alex gulped. “Well, if anything does happen to any of us...we’ve got you. You’ve been patching us up back home for a while now.”
    “True, but,” Harvey paused to turn and face them, his bangs plastered to his forehead from the perspiration, “there’s only so much I can do. I’m no specialist or surgeon and beyond that I have no medical supplies. The Grocery store had nothing except for band-aids and a few pills to cure a headache and alleviate allergy symptoms.” His tone grew louder. “I don’t have much to check basic vitals with. I can’t run tests. I don’t have any needles or thread for sutures, nothing to start an IV with or IV fluids. Hell I don’t even have a defibrillator! I have NOTHING!” The two stared at him blankly now. “We don’t know what’s out there,” he said, pointing behind him, “what dangerous wildlife there is or foreign illnesses to our systems. You two understanding now!?” His wet bangs now dangled over his stressed eyes, giving off that mad scientist look. It made what he was implicating pierce into Shane and Alex’s minds all the more.

    After a moment of silence, Harvey brushed the bangs away from his eyes and continued in a softer tone, “I’m not going to trust that the Wizard has removed all harm in this world from us or if so, will protect us from it. He is not that powerful.”
    Alex lightly nodded, some of the concern rubbing off on him. “We’ll figure everything out Harvey. We’ll be alright,” he said to comfort himself more than anything.
    “I say we could all use a drink,” Shane expressed, with his arms still folded. “Unless you don’t drink Doctor?” he disrespectfully asked Harvey with a raised eyebrow.
    Harvey met his gaze with a stern look and replied, “I drink...just responsibly.”
    If he was implying anything, Shane didn’t care to acknowledge it. He was just finally happy to get his way. “Alright then, let’s head on over to the Bar! The day is done and we have certainly carried it.” He then swung on his heel and made for the truck, promptly getting himself in.

    Alex and Harvey shot each other a curious expression at the term Shane just used, not sure if he knew exactly what it meant, or if it was even truly accurate, but they both shrugged it off and got back into the truck themselves.


    ******************************



    When Harvey pulled up to the bar, Shane gazed upon it from the window like he’d just found buried treasure.

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    Finally, he thought, pulling the elastic cuffs from his sleeves further down over his shaking hands. He could no longer control them now and it’d taken a great deal of deteriorating mental effort to do so. Soon this will all be over and I’ll be just fine.

    Upon entering through the swinging doors Shane stopped right before the bar, drawing in a breath and exhaling it pleasurably. He could swear it smelled just like the Stardrop Saloon back home. The guy behind the bar was mindlessly drying the glasses; he expected as much.

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    Alex took a seat at the end of the bar, reading the available drinks from a small chalkboard on the wall. Harvey stood between him and Shane, thinking it probably best that he refrain from drinking since he had already become the designated driver.

    “Bartender,” Shane happily addressed while sitting down, “get me a ‘Boilermaker.’”

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    The man stared blankly at him for a moment and said, “I don’t know that kind of drink. What can I get for you this evening?”
    Harvey couldn’t help cracking a smile while Shane facepalmed. “Just give me the strongest drink you have.”
    “You got it!”

    In no time at all the bartender shook up a drink and poured it into a martini glass, sliding it before Shane. It was lime green in color which he found to be a bit strange for their strongest drink, but this world was bizarre and at this point he didn’t care. He promptly lifted the glass and began to drink.

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    No sooner had the liquid touched his taste buds that he abruptly spit it out, projectiling forward, and barely missing the bartender. It certainly caught everyone’s attention. “What the HELL is this!?” he cried, wiping at his lips. “This isn’t beer or whatever the hell you machines call it over here!”
    Harvey came up to Shane’s side. “It probably contains a different form of alcohol.”
    “No! I KNOW alcoholic beverages, and yes I can even pick up on a foreign style of it, and this ISN’T one!”
    “Shane you can’t possibly--”
    “Oh yeah Mister smarty-pants if you don’t believe me try one yourself!”
    Harvey sighed and reached for Shane’s drink.
    “Not mine! Order your own!”
    Begrudgingly Harvey ordered a completely different drink and took a small sip of it.

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    Licking his lips a bit he said, “Hmm. Delicious. That’s the healthiest bar drink I’ve ever tasted.”
    “Shut up Harvey!” Shane murmured while rubbing at his forehead.
    “You’re right though Shane, this doesn’t taste alcoholic at all. It almost tastes like...juice.”

    In that moment, Shane froze; the color draining from his face, beads of sweat dripping from his brow and his heart pounding within his chest. Genuine fear radiated in his eyes as he gazed at his reflection in the bar mirror and he could feel his airway becoming constricted. Oh no…

    “Bartender,” he addressed again with a choke, “What are the names of your drinks here?”
    The man paused to think for a second before replying. “Spritz Juice, Martini Juice, Daiquiri Juice--”
    “That’s enough,” he stopped. “Juice?” he then questioned, staring at him with a twitch in his eye. “ALL of your drinks are made out of JUICE? The stuff squeezed from fruits!? Even in a BAR!?”
    “Yes sir. Squeezed only from the perfect quality fruits,” came the cheeky reply.

    Shane was fuming. Crimson red outlined his vision. Unable to control his rage any longer he sprang forward and grabbed the man by his shirt collar, bringing his face before his, causing numerous glasses to fall and break onto the floor.
    “Hey! Shane!” Harvey addressed, gripping his chest to pull him back. Alex rushed over to help.
    “Quit with the bull sh'it!” Shane hissed in the man’s face.
    The mechanical man simply stared at him in terror, not uttering a word.
    “Are you telling me that there’s not a FRICKING drop of alcohol in this entire town!? Da'mn you all and the Wizard to HELL!”
    “SHANE!” Harvey shouted, finally pulling him away from the bartender. He gripped his wrists to better hold him in place and ordered, “That’s enough!”

    Surrendering, mostly from his own weakness, Shane hated meeting Harvey’s gaze as he tried to catch his breath. His chest rose and fell rapidly like he’d just run a marathon and Harvey could feel his pulse palpitating through his wrists and witnessed beads of sweat rolling past his bloodshot eyes and down his cheeks. Realization suddenly set in and the Doctor couldn’t believe he didn’t recognize it sooner. “Shane...you’re really not okay are you?”

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    “Get your hands off me!” Shane fumed, jerking free from Harvey’s grasp, and dashed toward the swinging doors. He kicked the trash can over with great force before shoving the doors open and exiting.
    “Shane, where are you going?” Alex called out.
    “Home,” came the sharp reply. “Screw all this investigating, I’m DONE!”

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    Alex and Harvey stood still, watching him disappear with sorrow in their eyes.

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    “Geez,” Alex whispered, then glanced upward from hearing the hail rattling on the roof. “We can’t let him walk all the way home in this.”
    “He’s not really giving us a choice,” Harvey said, pulling out his phone and searching through his contacts.
    “But he might get hit by a car or something! You saw how he was staggering!”
    “I know, and that’s why we’re going to stealthily follow him home. If that’s actually where he’s going.” He held the phone up to his ear and waited for Elliott to answer.

    “Hey, we’re done for the day and heading back. Shane will arrive there before us.”
    “Huh? Why?” Elliott asked.
    “He’s in deep distress because he’s suffering from alcohol withdrawal and decided to walk home. We’re gonna trail behind him a ways to make sure he does, but once he steps through the door I need you to approach him calmly and keep a close eye on him. Make sure he doesn’t attempt anything...crazy.”

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    Alex’s eyes widened, same with Elliott’s on the other line.
    “Once we get there I’ll see what I can do to help him.”
    “Okaaay, but...I doubt he’s gonna let you near him Harvey, especially when he’s feeling like cr’ap. It’s no mystery he doesn’t like you.”
    “I know,” Harvey sighed, “and that’s why I’ll need help from you and the other guys. He’s gonna need to be closely monitored for the next few days because...he’s gonna get a whole lot worse before he gets better. He’s going to need all the care and support we can give him.”


    ******************************

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